Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberian government says at least 80 persons have been quarantined including the six children of an Ebola-infected woman who was discovered last week in the Montserrado County.
According to the Social Mobilization Chairperson Rev. John Sumo, the woman is receiving treatment at an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) in the Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. “. There is no clue whether other Ebola patients have been identified. We are still waiting for reliable information on the source of this new Ebola case,” he said.
“Do not believe in any rumor. Rely on information from official sources. When there is more information, we will keep the public informed.”
More than 3,900 persons are officially known to have died of the disease in Liberia.
24 March marked one year since the first Ebola case was identified in Liberia. The government says the first case came into the country from Guinea, another West African nation that has been badly hit by the disease that has no known cure, according to health experts.
The discovery of the new Ebola case dashed several weeks of hopes among Liberians who looked forward to the government’s declaration of an Ebola-free nation in mid-April.
In recent weeks, humanitarian responders fighting to roll back Ebola in Liberia have been taking their fight to the border regions where they believe any new case could come in from Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Collaboration with local media and communities
County Health Teams are encouraging the local media to partner with them in fighting Ebola. The potential of the local media to effectively dismiss rumors and shape people’s perceptions with credible information should never be undermined.
As health experts engage in a border strategy, the local media and the communities can bolster their outreach to the local population. That way, complains about Ebola transmissions as a result of weak surveillance or non-respect of prevention measures will not surface.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Liberia advises the local population to distance themselves for sites where the dead bodies suspected Ebola victims were buried. WHO also recommends the population in all counties to strictly respect health protocols and touch base with County Health Teams nearing burial sites.
